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Covid-19 Crisis Delays West Bank Mapping
(Times of Israel) Rafael Ahren - It could take up to several months before the joint U.S.-Israel mapping committee concludes its work, which the White House has declared a precondition before it would give a green light for applying Israel law in parts of the West Bank. The mapping committee is tasked with delineating the exact borders of these areas, a mission that requires meticulous, on-the-ground work. However, a key member of the committee, the U.S. National Security Council's Israel and Palestinian affairs director Scott Leith, has not been able to travel to the region since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. It is unlikely that the committee could complete its work by the proposed July 1 date. An official from the settlement movement who met with Prime Minister Netanyahu on Tuesday said he left the meeting under the impression that moves toward applying Israel law would not be taking place "as soon or in the scope" that had initially been pledged.